After 150
years of Turkish
rule and
following the
Peace of
Passarowitz in
1718, the Banat
came under
Austrian control
and was
designated an
Imperial
Province
governed by the
Royal Chamber in
Vienna. Through
war and
devastation the
land was
depopulated,
only the eastern
areas occupied
by the Turks
were an
exception and
presented a
better picture.
In Temesvar,
alongside
families of
Spanish Jews,
there were also
small numbers of
Serbs. Count
Florimundus
Mercy, the
governor of the
Banat was given
the task to
resettle the
swamp infested
wasteland which
the Banat had
become. Even
before the
Settlement
Patent of
Charles VI in
1722, promising
certain rights
and privileges
for any would-be
colonist,
individual
Germans, mostly
craftsmen and
former
participants in
the military
forces during
the War of
Liberation began
to settle in the
Banat , mainly
in the towns and
cities.

The one
hundred year
long
resettlement of
the Banat and
the other Danube
areas was
divided into
three phases,
the so-called
Schwabenzug or
the Carolinian,
Theresian and
Josephinian
colonization
periods named
after the
respective
sovereigns.

Within the
framework of
this study it is
the third period
under Joseph II
that is most
important and
covers the
period from
1782-1788. It
was only in this
period that
large numbers of
Protestants
arrived in the
Banat. They
consisted of
approximately
3,000 families;
a portion of
those came
directly from
the various
German
principalities,
while others
resettled in the
Banat from other
areas within the
Habsburg Empire,
especially from
Bohemia,
Moravia,
Slovakia and
Hungary itself.

The numbers of
Germans in the
Banat in 1839
numbered
224,807; in 1880
the census
reported
364,080; and in
1910 there were
426,240
persons. By
1939 the
combined Danube
Swabian
population in
the Romanian and
Yugoslavian
Banat was
estimated at
450,000.

Charles VI,
whose government
policy was
highly
influenced by
mercantilism
that projected
economic
advancement
through
increased
population and
productivity,
was unable to
carry out a
systematic
settlement in
the Banat due to
the many
military
campaigns in the
area and the
ongoing
incursions of
the Turks in the
south. In
contrast to the
population
policies of
Maria Theresia,
which also
included large
numbers of
non-Germans,
Joseph II’s
policy was
specifically
“Germans only.”
Although the
colonists
themselves were
not politically
motivated, they
were used for
political ends
to populate and
secure the
border areas in
order to
strengthen the
southern borders
of the Empire.
The settlers
were farmers and
tradesmen and
not a “nation”
of their own
with narrow
social,
political and
religious
boundaries of
their own like
the Transylvania
Saxons who had
preceded them by
six hundred
years, nor the
Serbs who, under
the leadership
of their
Patriarch, had
sought refuge
from the Turks
and found asylum
in the Banat.
The Germans came
simply as
settlers whose
sense of
community was
their extended
family and their
neighbors.
They placed
little
importance on
externals and
focussed on the
tasks of
settlement and
maintaining the
traditions of
home.

It is not
obvious why
Germany was to
be the chief
source of these
settlers. At
that time every
state was
interested in
increasing its
population,
bringing in
settlers who
were non-Germans
and hindering
the emigration
of its own
people to other
lands and
territories.
But political
might prevailed
and because they
were surrounded
by “mightier”
neighbouring
states, the
German
principalities
lacked that.
Larger states
like England and
France, as well
as Prussia,
hindered
emigration by
law and decree.
The southwest
German
principalities
attempted to do
likewise, but
the “Wanderlust”
that was
encouraged by
the colonial
publicity agents
proved
stronger. The
populations in
this area were
locked into the
estate landlord
system; the
border areas
along the Rhine
had been
devastated and
ravaged for
decades by
foreign troops
and had endured
their
occupation.
Economic need
and social
oppression
through the
“serfdom” system
also added to
the discontent.
The Protestants
(both Lutheran
and Reformed) in
the Pfalz
(Palatinate)
were persecuted
due to the
re-catholicizing
policies of
their ruler Karl
Theodore and, as
a result, were
engaged in
various streams
of emigration.
Following the
Joseph II Edict
of Toleration,
which also
applied to
Protestant
settlers, in the
Danube areas a
virtual
emigration fever
broke out. The
promise of
toleration and
the other
privileges
granted to
settlers, i.e.
land, houses,
livestock etc.
lured would-be
German
colonists.
Despite
censorship,
control of the
mail, the
difficulties
involved in
securing proper
exit
documentation
and all kinds of
other
impediments in
the southwest
German
principalities,
very few of
those who left
did so without
the proper
credentials.
The reports sent
home by the
colonists or
those who made a
return visit
home only
stimulated the
interest of
others to leave
and join them in
the new land.

In addition to
the political
and economic
issues, the
social pressures
and the
religious
reasons there
must also be
acknowledgment
of the basic
wanderlust which
was at issue
among these land
loving people
between the
Rhine and the
Mosel who were
bonded together
in many ways.
It is the
compulsion and
drive to wander
and seek
adventure that
is common to the
southwest
Germans who
would colonize
the Volga,
Galicia,
Bessarabia,
North and South
America and the
Danubian
provinces. This
“Swabian” roving
spirit created
not only the
Danube Swabians
but resulted in
other ongoing
migrations, so
that thousands
of them later
left for North
America and
either remained
there or
returned. In
addition to all
of the other
reasons and
causes of the
emigration,
those of Swabian
and Franconian
origin left as
restless spirits
in search of a
new life just
over the
horizon.

The
designation of
the Germans
living in the
Danube region as
“Swabians” is as
inaccurate as
referring to the
Germans in
Transylvania as
“Saxons”.
(Translator’s
note: In North
America there
was a parallel
in calling the
Germans who
settled in
Pennsylvania the
Pennsylvania
Dutch.) Because
the first
settlers appear
to have been
Swabians, that
apparently is
how the
designation
originated. In
Serbian they
were called
Svaba and in
Hungarian they
were called
Svabok, and the
term was
subsequently
applied to all
Germans in the
Danube basin.
In 1922 the
identification
of all Germans
in Szatmar,
Banat, Batschka,
Swabian Turkey,
Croatia and
Slavonia,
Syrmia, Bakony
Forest, Western
Hungary and the
Budapest plains
as the
“Donauschwaben”
was suggested by
the ethnologists
Sieger and
Rüdiger in
Vienna, even
though only a
small proportion
was actually of
Swabian origin.
Regardless not
only of the many
differences that
affected
dissimilar
groups in
various
localities, but
also of the
shifting
political
situations and
borders, the
Danube Swabians
still shared a
basic common
history.

To give the
reader a flavour
of the
historical
situation into
which would-be
Protestant
settlers would
come, in
response to the
invitation of
Charles VI to
settle in the
Banat, is this
decree of
January 1, 1718
by the State
Council in
Temesvar:

“Be it known to
all, that no
unbelievers,
that is heathen,
Jews, Turks,
Lutherans or
Calvinists
and all other
heretics
mentioned above
are hereby
expelled from
the city
immediately and
there will be no
exceptions.”

The following
are some
examples of the
reasons given
for this kind of
policy. Three
reasons were
given by Vienna
for this need to
exclude
Protestants from
its new
settlement
colonization
program.
Absolutism was
the Habsburg
worldview;
tolerance could
only weaken the
power of the
state, and one
uniform
religious
confession would
strengthen the
state. Vienna
further believed
that the state
would be
endangered from
a
Turkish-Protestant
alliance that
might be forged
if Protestants
settled in the
Banat in the
very vulnerable
border areas
where the Turks
remained
active.
Thirdly, the
tradition of the
Vienna Imperial
Chamber had
always been
supportive of
the supremacy of
Roman
Catholicism and
Maria Theresia
embodied that in
all of her
religious
policies. In
other regions of
the Habsburg
Monarchy,
Hungary in
particular,
Protestantism
had to be dealt
with differently
and some
Protestants were
able to settle
there on private
estates.
(Translator’s
note: Some of
the first Danube
Swabians from
Germany were
Lutherans and
Reformed from
Hesse and
Württemberg who
settled during
the first phase
of the
Schwabenzug on
private estates
including the
estates of Count
Mercy, the
governor of the
Banat, on his
domains in Tolna
County, where
large Lutheran
and Reformed
congregations
later
flourished.
Others settled
on the east bank
of the Danube at
Kisharta,
Vadkert and
Meszobereny.)

Protestants
settlers joined
in the migration
down the Danube
from the very
outset and they
received
permission from
the Diet at
Pressburg in
1723 to do so.
They were
guaranteed civil
and religious
freedom as they
embarked at the
riverports for
Hungary; however
those who
continued on to
the Banat were
robbed of their
pastors and
teachers, their
bibles and
hymnbooks were
confiscated and
their
settlements were
placed under the
jurisdiction of
nearby Roman
Catholic
priests. They
assembled in
private homes
for simple
services of
Bible reading,
singing of hymns
and offering
prayers.
Vigorous
attempts were
made to separate
them from their
faith, with
limited
results. Other
smaller groups
continued to
arrive but their
numbers remained
insignificant.
Most moved
elsewhere or
vanished into
the general
population, as
did many of the
families in
Karansebesch
serving there as
border guards.
The latter
reemerged at the
time of the
Edict of
Toleration to
form a Lutheran
congregation.

(Translator’s
note: The
author appears
to be unaware of
the Lutheran
settlements in
the Banat that
were established
at Neu Palanka
south of
Weisskirchen in
the spring of
1718 with the
arrival of
Hessian Lutheran
settlers from
Ober-Ramstadt
located in the
Odenwald. Their
first settlement
was located at
Langenfeld
shortly after
the Turks were
expelled from
the area. A
sister
settlement was
founded at
Petrilowa
shortly
afterwards and
congregations
were formed in
both of the
communities. A
steady stream of
Hessian settlers
continued to
arrive and
established new
communities at
Orawitza,
Russowa,
Haversdorf and
Saalhausen. A
Levite Lehrer (a
teacher who was
also
theologically
trained)
accompanied the
first group of
settlers and
held services in
the various
communities.
These original
families sent
word back to
their home
parish in
Ober-Ramstadt
and called the
pastor’s son to
come and serve
them. With the
assistance of
Count Mercy,
Johann Karl
Reichard was
secretly able to
begin his
ministry there
in 1723. Shortly
afterwards he
was declared a
fugitive and
banished; he
then fled to the
Tolna estates of
County Mercy to
serve the
congregation in
Varsad. All
public worship
was denied the
Hessian Lutheran
settlers in the
Banat. Some
families and
individuals,
about
eighty-five in
all, left and
followed their
former pastor to
Hungary. All of
the settlements
were later
destroyed by the
Turks and the
remaining
population was
massacred or
carried off into
slavery,
although some
managed to flee
and found haven
among their
co-religionists:
the Transylvania
Saxons.)

Until Joseph
II, an ardent
proponent of the
“Enlightenment”,
decreed the
Edict of
Toleration in
1781 and 1784 in
Hungary, to all
intents and
purposes, the
Banat settlers
were Roman
Catholics during
the first
decades of the
Swabian
migration. This
decree should
not be confused
with religious
freedom at this
point, but
simply
tolerance. A
breach with
tradition had,
however, been
made and this
toleration of
the Protestants
(Translator’s
note: and
Orthodox as
well) was a
giant step
forward. His
Protestant
subjects would
always look upon
him as their
friend, although
he always
remained a
devout Roman
Catholic. He
invited the
Protestants of
the German
principalities
to settle in the
Banat and the
Batschka. In
addition, he
specifically
invited the
Protestants in
the Palatinate
to come and find
freedom from
persecution.

As a result of
the Edict of
Toleration,
Protestant
settlements
consisting of
Slovak Lutherans
and Magyar
Calvinists
(Reformed) soon
emerged in the
Banat . Earlier
in 1774, a
Hungarian
Reformed
congregation was
established in
the Military
Frontier
District in
Debeliacsa. Our
study, however,
is concerned
with the German
settlements.
The first of
these was the
Lutheran
settlement in
Liebling that
was established
in 1786
according to an
official plan of
the Imperial
Administration
in Temesvar and
was located
thirty
kilometres south
of Temesvar on
the Brist Puszta
(Translator’s
note: an open
prairie.) A
distinction was
made between
those who took
up land and
those who were
tradesmen, so
that the latter
received only a
lot on which to
build their
houses. The
places of origin
of the colonists
in Liebling from
1787 to 1830
included the
following:

Those who came
from Hungary
were primarily
from Mezobereny,
Kisharta and
Vadkert, which
were earlier
Hessian and
Heidebauern
settlements on
the east bank of
the Danube.
(Translator’s
note: The
Heidebauern were
descendants of
Bavarian and
Franconian
families who
were settled by
Charlemagne to
help defend the
eastern
frontiers of his
empire along the
Danube in the
10th and 11th
century in
present day
Burgenland and
Western
Hungary.)
These colonists
were known to be
rather mobile
and would move
on again after
first settling
in Liebling.
This
characteristic
was also true of
those who came
from the Banat
and Batschka.
Many of the
recently arrived
Protestant
settlers in the
Batschka moved
on into the
Banat and as a
result most of
the Protestants
in the Banat
were of this
type. Some who
had previously
settled in the
Banat but had
held fast to
their Protestant
faith or could
not obtain a
pastoral
ministry where
they lived then
moved on to the
newly founded
Lutheran and
Reformed
communities and
settled there.

The German
Protestant
community of
Rittburg was
established in
1786 consisting
of 234 German
families, mostly
Lutherans. By
1791 an
emigration from
Rittburg began.
The Germans left
the community as
a result of
economic need,
floods and low
crop yields year
after year. The
Lutheran
congregation
ceased to exist
after 1800. The
officials in
Temesvar
re-settled the
village with
Hungarians and
it became a
Hungarian
Reformed
community.

A few years
after the
founding of
Liebling a new
Protestant
settlement was
established and
the Lutheran
community of
Franzfeld came
to birth. The
places of origin
of the first
colonists were
listed in the
Heimatbuch
celebrating the
one hundredth
anniversary of
its founding:
Baden 43
families,
Württemberg 5
families, Alsace
5 families, the
Palatinate 4
families and
Bavaria 1
family.

The former
homelands of the
Liebling and
Franzfeld
settlers show
that, in
comparison to
the rest of the
Banat, they in
actual fact were
Swabians. In
comparison, in
the Batschka
most of the
colonists
originated from
the left bank
regions of the
Rhine,
especially the
Palatinate.
This Swabian
element is very
rare in the
Batschka. In
the Protestant
communities in
the Banat the
process of
mixing the
various dialects
was quickly set
into motion, the
characteristics
of which
markedly
separated them
from the Roman
Catholic
settlements. In
Liebling and the
neighbouring
Protestant
communities
their
distinctive
greeting was:
“Helf Gott!
(Translator’s
note: May God
help you!” ).
The village
plan, the style
of the houses
and church were
identical to the
Roman Catholic
Swabian
settlements.

Because of the
high death rate
and the ongoing
further
migrations there
was a need for
additional
settlers soon
after the
founding of the
villages.
Numerous
colonists from
Hungary and the
Batschka
answered the
call for more
settlers. Even
as this new
stream of
settlers moved
in, there was an
additional
migration out of
the area as
well. In 1787
families had
moved on to
other districts
in search of
better
possibilities
and
opportunities.
Despite
warnings,
official decrees
and laws, large
numbers of
families from
Liebling set out
for Russia to
settle in the
Crimea shortly
after 1800.
Only some of
them were
successful, most
were apprehended
and forced to
return to
Liebling. There
is a record of
seventeen
families who
were stopped in
Transylvania in
1808 and were
forced to return
home.

After 1830, as
the community
expanded many
young single
persons and
married couples
left for other
districts of the
Banat to find
land and space
in which to
build their
future. In
1839, Adam Hörl
of Liebling
moved to Birda
where he had
been preceded by
families from
the Batschka
villages of
Kisker, Bulkes
and Neu
Werbass. Soon
other
Lieblingers
followed him.
In 1842 a
teacher was
called, and
after his
arrival the
congregation was
formed. In 1880
there were 392
German Lutheran
inhabitants and
by 1910 they
formed the
majority in this
former
(ethnically)
Romanian village
(713 Germans out
of 1,1119
inhabitants.)
The German
settlement was
done under the
auspices of the
landowner and
patron of the
village, Lo-Presti.
In 1850
Lieblingers
moved into
neighbouring
Schipet which
was a Romanian
village and by
1936 they
numbered 127
persons of whom
100 were
Lutherans.

After 1848
settlers from
Leibling and
Kleinschemlak
moved into the
mixed
confessional and
ethnic community
of Klopodia,
most of them day
labourers who
later were
followed by a
new wave of
settlers. By
1871 there were
875 Protestants
of both
confessions in
the community.
By 1936 only
400 remained
there. In the
1850s settlers
from Liebling
arrived in
Neukaransebesch
and discovered
descendants of
the Lutheran
“Grenzer”
families.
(Translator’s
note: The
Grenzers were
citizen soldiers
living in the
Military
Frontier
District who
worked their
land and took up
arms when called
upon, much like
the American
Minute Men.)

In Butin,
which was also a
mixed ethnic and
confessional
village where a
Slovak Lutheran
congregation had
been
established,
settlers from
Liebling also
took up
residence
there. They
eventually
numbered about
200 persons,
although their
number would be
reduced to 40
much later. In
1893/1894
several families
moved to
Ebendorf where a
Lutheran
congregation had
existed for some
time. The
youngest
daughter
settlement of
Liebling is
Waldau,
established in
1808/1809. The
origins of the
residents of the
village were:
Liebling 36
families,
Franzfeld 21
families, Birda
14 families,
Kleinschemlak 10
families, Fager
5 families,
Butin 3
families,
Morisfeld 2
families and
Schipet 1
family.

The German
community in
Schipet is
somewhat older
and of its
population 87
were born in
Schipet, 17 had
come from
Liebling, 5 from
Semlak, 5 from
Kleinschemlak, 2
from Waldau, 1
each from Butin
and Franzfeld
and 9 Roman
Catholics.

Both of the
above examples
demonstrate two
important
facts: the
continuation of
ongoing
migrations into
contemporary
times and the
close
relationships
maintained by
the Protestant
Swabians with
one another.
The focal point
throughout is
Liebling. It
stands at the
centre. From
here the new
migrations had
their beginnings
but the daughter
congregations
remained in
close contact
with Liebling
and one another,
especially
through
marriage. The
isolated
congregation of
Semlak in the
vicinity of Arad
was incorporated
within the
greater Liebling
parish. There
was also a close
inter-exchange
between Liebling
and Franzfeld in
the Yugoslavian
Banat that also
extended to the
south and
stretched into
Serbia and
Bosnia. Through
the division of
the Banat
between Romania
and Yugoslavia
following the
First World War,
the relationship
and
communications
with Franzfeld
were effectively
cut off. The
Lutheran Swabian
congregations in
Romanian Banat
following the
First World War
developed into a
union of closely
related
congregations
with Liebling at
its centre.

Another major
chapter in the
life of the
Protestant
Swabians in the
Banat was the
American
emigration.
This began in
the 1890s and
affected the
Protestants as
much as the
Roman Catholic
Swabian
communities.
Most of them
would remain in
America until
they had saved
enough money to
return home.
The largest
numbers of
emigrants left
for the US after
the First World
War. Before the
war years, about
100 Lieblingers
lived in
America, and
after the war
the number
increased to
471. This was
equal to 10% of
the population
of the
community.
However, in the
last five years
(1936) more
Lieblingers
returned than
emigrated. [1]
Economic
reasons, the
search for
wealth and
family
expectations
were the factors
that drove the
Protestant and
Roman Catholic
Swabians to
leave during the
escalation of
Magyarization
efforts by the
Hungarians.
Nevertheless,
one wonders if
the basic
wanderlust and
roving spirit
indigenous to
the Swabians was
also a
compelling
factor.

There was
another major
Lutheran Swabian
settlement in
Kleinschemlak.
In this ancient
Serbian district
where Dazel
Dsztoics owned
the large
Puszta, he
invited Germans
to settle on his
estates in
1802. Lutheran
families from
Baden and
Württemberg came
to settle there
in 1805.
Because of poor
relations with
him, most of
them moved on
and it was only
in 1816/1816
that permanent
settlers
arrived. As a
result it would
become an
entirely German
Lutheran
village.

Semlak by Arad
was also
originally a
Serbian district
that was first
established in
the 13th and
14th centuries.
It was destroyed
under the Turks
and was
resettled by
Romanians,
Hungarians and
Ukrainians. In
1819 the first
Germans arrived,
primarily from
Mezobereny in
Hungary (which
had also
provided
numerous
settlers for
Liebling).
After Liebling,
Semlak was the
largest German
Protestant
community in the
Romanian Banat
with both
Lutheran and
Reformed
congregations.

With respect
to the Lutheran
congregations in
what became the
Yugoslavian
Banat, we have
already dealt
with the
founding of
Franzfeld in
1790. Mramorak
was established
in 1820 when six
families from
Hesse migrated
there and were
joined by
twenty-three
other families
from Franzfeld
and the
Batschka. In
1831 the
congregation
formed a larger
parish. In the
1830s the
residents of
Siawatz,
Tscherwenka and
Werbass in the
Batschka settled
in Pantschowa in
response to work
opportunities in
the brickyards
there. A
Lutheran
congregation was
formed shortly
afterwards.
Daughter
congregations
emerged in the
Yugoslavian
Banat as far as
into Bosnia.

There were
also Protestant
settlers who
chose to reside
in the towns and
cities of the
Banat. Quite
early, it was
recognized that
the Protestant
military
personnel had a
need for church
life and
ministry in
Temesvar. The
congregation
became a filial
of Liebling at
first and, then
in 1824,
established a
parish of its
own. Although
they were few in
number,
Lutherans
resided in
Lugosch since
1838.
Between1848-1850
there was a
large influx of
Lutherans from
Württemberg,
Bavaria and
Hungary that
brought about a
radical change,
so that Lugosch
became a
Lutheran
centre.
Industrial
workers from all
parts of
Germany, from
Slovakia and the
Batschka began
to move into
Reschissa and
among them were
large numbers of
Protestants.
German
Protestant
workers came to
Ferdinandsberg
in 1858 seeking
employment at
the soap factory
operated by the
Hoffmann
Company.
Between
1856-1859,
Germans from
Transylvania,
the Zips and
Slovakia came to
Steierdorf; most
of them were
Lutherans who
numbered some
300-350 persons
at the time.

This overview
of the urban
Protestant
population in
the Romanian
Banat will have
to suffice for
the present.
The urban
congregations as
well as the
agricultural
communities
present a rather
colourful
background in
terms of the
origins of the
settlers and the
close
relationships
they developed
with one
another.

The author
provides the
following
statistics for
December 1935
but only for the
Lutheran
congregations
and does not
include those of
the Reformed.

Parishes or
Mother Churches
are in bold
print while the filials
(daughter)
congregations
are in regular
type.